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Asbestos is a carcinogen that is extremely hazardous to human health. Exposure to asbestos can cause victims in South Carolina to develop dangerous and even fatal diseases, such as lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently closed a loophole regarding asbestos use, but some states say the current protections are not enough.

A total of 10 states as well as Washington, D.C. are suing the EPA after critics say the agency failed to protect citizens. The agency passed the new rule in April 2019, which it said closed a decades-old loophole that made it impossible to restrict or prevent sales of certain products containing asbestos. Those suing the EPA said it should have done much more than just closed a single loophole and should have banned the substance altogether.

The lawsuit cites a 2019 petition that called on the EPA to better regulate asbestos, and to also collect more data on how it is imported and used in this country. The EPA denied the petition in the same month that it passed the allegedly lackluster rule. According to the suit, the denial was not only arbitrary, but it was also a violation of the EPA’s obligations according to the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Individuals living in South Carolina and across the rest of the country might be understandably concerned about the continued use of asbestos. Even if the carcinogenic substance was banned from new use, it still exists in an untold number of products that people still use, leaving room for new exposures all the time. When a victim develops mesothelioma or other illness as a result of that exposure, it can be helpful to explore what type of compensation might be needed or possible to recover from any negligent parties.